The poor lemon. It's so common that you ignore it even in the midst of its high season. But we tend to agree with , which lists this tart fruit as a cooking staple. No one will be surprised to learn that the book's authors dote on the low-acid Meyer lemons, which have become a defining ingredient in California cuisine. But nothing beats the mouthpuckering juice of a Eureka or Lisbon lemon, the two almost identical varieties you'll find at the market. more ›

Certain summer fruits—tomatoes and peaches come to mind—are poster children for farmer's markets. When these ingredients are bound for the supermarket, they're picked way too early and stored in taste-damaging conditions. more ›

Whenever we see persimmons, we remember one of our first encounters with the matte orange fruit. Some joker had set out a bowl filled with pretty persimmon wedges and so of course we tried one. This, it turns out, is a Bad Idea. If you make the same mistake we did, the tannins in the fruit will wither your tongue and completely dry out your mouth. It's a distinctive, odd, and not very pleasant experience. Then you'll no doubt encourage everyone around you to try it. The same way you urge them to put 9-volt batteries to their tongues. No? Maybe that's just us. We later learned that not all persimmons do this: Acorn-shaped Hachiya persimmons are highly astringent for most of their lives, tomato-shaped Fuyus aren't. So why do farmers sell Hachiyas this time of year? Because when they ripen, all the tannins in the flesh bind to other chemicals, and the mouth-shriveling meat gives way to a delicious, jelly-like interior. The fruit will be squishy-soft and fragile and the fruit's color changes from pale orange to angry red. Eat this liquid interior with a spoon, or put it in the freezer for forty-five minutes or so until the interior solidifies into persimmon granita. If you want a fancier treatment, we're tempted by the persimmon pudding in . To tenderize still-firm Hachiyas, wrap them snugly in plastic wrap to deprive the fruit of oxygen and kick start the necessary chemical reactions. more ›